The Tumblr Archives
by losingmymindtonight
Summary: a collection of informal oneshots and drabbles from my Tumblr
1. My Hands, They Shake

AN: Hey guys!

So, before everyone starts screeching at me to finish my other WIPs, HEAR ME OUT! I've found myself writing a lot of informal drabbles based off of Tumblr posts and throwing them up on my blog, and a couple of people mentioned that I should post them on here so that I have an archive of them saved in one place. So, that's what we're gonna do.

This is a collection of barely edited, short, un-researched, bullshit ramblings. They're entirely self-indulgent. I see a post that gives me feels, I vomit words, and then you get this shit.

Updates to this will obviously come randomly. One week, I might write five of these things. Another, I might write none. The Muse is entirely in charge with this one, and she can be a finicky little bitch.

As always, enjoy! Drop reviews and kudos if you like it! I love you guys!

LINK TO THE TUMBLR POST THAT INSPIRED THIS CHAPTER: post/173202688854/tonys-hands-shake-when-he-gets-older-due-to-the

* * *

It starts in January, just after Christmas. It only takes Tony five minutes with F.R.I.D.A.Y. to confirm what it is. In the end, he's not even surprised.

He hides it for months. He has to. It is a well known fact that an engineer is only as good as his hands. Tony Stark is just that: a pair of hands that create. If those hands fail, his identity, his _purpose_ , is lost.

At first, it's not hard to conceal. He doesn't see many people besides Pepper, nowadays. Happy is far too busy running SI's security branch to take much notice of the little things and Rhodey spends more time in D.C. than anywhere else. Pepper does ask about it, once, but Tony bullshits an excuse. He doesn't know if she really believes it, but she doesn't ask again.

There's only one other person who would notice, and the kid's at MIT most of the year. In all honestly, Tony misses Peter like hell. Cambridge isn't far, especially when you have a private jet and a suit that can achieve supersonic flight, but the billionaire has been trying to keep his distance. The kid needs time and space to find who he is outside of Tony Stark and outside of Spider-Man. Tony will be damned if he fucks that up.

But now it's summer, and Peter is home.

He'd missed the hell out of this kid. They aren't even talking at the moment. Peter is engrossed in a project in the lab's corner while his mentor tinkers with Dum-E's wiring, but there is a contentment inside Tony's chest that makes the silence the most comfortable sound in the world.

And then his hands start shaking.

He tries to power through, like he always does, but it only takes him five minutes to lose his grip on the screwdriver and send the tool clattering across the floor.

The string of curses slips out before he can even think them through.

"Mister Stark? Is everything okay?"

Peter still calls him Mister Stark. Even after all this time. Even though the young man is very aware of his future inheritance. Even after fighting through a war side by side. This damn kid has never stopped looking at his mentor like the man can lift mountains.

And now he can't even rewire a damn robot.

"It's fine, Peter."

But the kid is peeking over his shoulder now, looking at his shaking hands with a shadow of fear on his face.

 _Damn it._

"What's wrong?" Peter's eyes are flashing between Tony's hands and his face. "Mister Stark? Is-is it your anxiety? Do you need something? What-what can I do?"

Peter rarely stutters, anymore. Tony hates that he's the reason he's doing it now.

"It's fine, Peter."

"You keep saying that, but I can tell it's not true."

"It's _fine_ , Peter."

"Stop saying that!"

Tony's hands are shaking even harder now. He can't tell if the tremor is just naturally progressing or if his stress is exacerbating it.

"I'm saying it because it's nothing for you to worry about, kiddo. I've got in under control."

"You don't always have to do this, you know."

"Do what?"

"Try to handle everything on your own. You don't have to. I want to help."

Peter's eyes are so genuine. He'd never lost that glimmer of innocence, even after Thanos. Something akin to hope kindles inside Tony whenever he sees it. Whenever he remembers that the kid was beaten, but never broken.

"I know you do, kid. But you don't have to worry about me."

"But I _do_ worry about you, Mister Stark." Peter is pulling him away from the wires with gentle hands. "And when you shut me out, I just worry more. Please tell me what's wrong."

Tony sighed, gripping the couch with white knuckles. Even then, he could still feel the tremor.

"It's just a little shakiness, Peter. I'm not sick."

"But…" Peter's hands ghost over Tony's. His face has taken on that soft, introspective quality that Tony has come to associate with the kid's moments of deep thought. "But _why_ are you shaking?"

"Don't be an alcoholic, kid. Old age ain't pretty either way, but it sure doesn't help."

Peter's a genius, so it doesn't surprise Tony that he connects the dots immediately. "Nerve damage."

"Yep."

"Is it…" Peter's voice is hesitant. "Is it permanent?"

"I don't know, kid. Is nerve damage usually repairable?" Tony didn't mean to be curt, but his frustration was leaking out. "What use is a genius level IQ if you're not going to use it, Peter? Don't act stupid. It doesn't suit you."

Peter blinks. He's seen Tony be harsh, but it isn't usually directed at him. He's seen so much of Tony's rarer gentle side that the prodigy often forgets that his mentor is a notoriously bitter personality. "I-I'm sorry, Tony."

Every ounce of anger rushes out of the older man at once. "Don't apologize, Peter. I'm not angry with you."

"Who are you angry with, then?"

These are the moments that make Tony's head spin. The moments he remembers that while Peter isn't a teenager anymore, he is still so painfully naive.

"I'm pissed at myself, buddy."

Peter pulls Tony's hands away from the couch. The billionaire looks down. The kid's hands are soft and young and _steady._ They have decades of innovation just waiting for them. A lifetime ahead, glowing like a promise. But for Tony, there is only a clock running low on time. Numbered days. For a moment, he wants to hate Peter for it.

"Why?"

"What use is an engineer with shaky hands, Peter?"

"But you're not only an engineer, right?" The kid gives him one of those special smiles that make the older man's heart fill with all sorts of obnoxiously gooey emotions. "You're a lot of other things. More important things."

"Like what?"

"Uh, you're _Iron Man_." Peter says it like there isn't anything else in the world that could be more important or impressive. It occurs to Tony that to the kid, that's probably true. "You're a genius. You're a billionaire, and the owner of a company, and an icon. And you're a husband. And a, uh, and a…" Peter blushes, and Tony just barely catches his final words, "and you're kind of like a dad, too."

Tony doesn't need to ask to who.

"You're a really good kid, Peter."

Peter looks at Tony like his mentor has just handed him a bushel of stars rather than a half-assed complement, and Tony decides that maybe he is more than a pair of hands, after all.


	2. Sorry, Mister Stark

AN: INFINITY WAR SPOILERS AHEAD! DO YOU HEAR ME? ARE YOU LISTENING? DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN INFINITY WAR! DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU.

LINK TO THE TUMBLR POST THAT INSPIRED THIS CHAPTER: post/173366296511/a-concept-after-everything-is-alright-again-tony

* * *

Peter bumps the screwdriver out of Tony's hand with a clumsy elbow. He ducks underneath the workbench as soon as he realizes what he's done, face already heating up in a blush.

"Oh. Sorry, Mister Stark."

Tony's world blurs out. All he can hear is the echoes of a frightened, cracking voice that is all too familiar.

 _Mister Stark? I don't feel so good._

 _Please, Sir. I don't wanna go._

 _I'm sorry._

Tony cannot breathe. Peter is dying. He's dying again and Tony just got him back and he can't take this. Not again.

"Mister Stark?" Peter sounds scared. Shit. Of course he's scared. He's going to die. He's going to die because Tony can't save him.

Tony can never save him.

A hand touches his shoulder and Tony flinches back with a choked gasp.

"Oh, shit. I-I'm sorry, Mister Stark."

No no no no no. _Peter_. Sweet, young, innocent Peter. He'd tried so hard to protect him. When he'd come back, Tony hadn't even told him what happened. And the kid had asked. He'd asked and he'd asked and he'd asked.

( _"What happened, Mister Stark?"  
_

 _Tony is filled with sudden relief. He prays to an uncaring god that Peter doesn't remember a single thing. "You don't remember?"  
_

 _"Uh, no. I remember being scared. Like, really really scared. I remember you. And, uh, did you hug me, maybe? I definitely remember someone holding me. And then I remember feeling sort of peaceful, and then nothing else."  
_

 _The words are the sweetest thing Tony had ever heard. "That's good, kid. Don't sweat what happened. It's over now."  
_

 _"But-"  
_

 _"Nope. No more questions. C'mon. Don't you have a science project to work on? Let's get that done and we'll watch a movie. Any movie. Your choice, Underoos."  
_

 _"Can we watch Alien?"  
_

 _Tony's heart stills. "Any movie except Alien."_ )

And Tony had never told him. No matter how obnoxious the kid got. No matter how curious he was. Tony couldn't tell him.

He made everyone else swear to conceal it, too. Rhodey had been surprisingly easy to convince. Then again, he'd seen Tony stumble of Nebula's half-wrecked spaceship with a stab wound in his side and an empty look in his eyes. He'd held Tony as the man broke down, screaming and sobbing about a frightened kid and a hand covered in ash.

Maybe Rhodey understood Tony's urge to protect, now. Maybe he understood that nothing would stand in its way ever again.

Except something could. And it was coming back for the kid Tony had snatched out of its claws.

 _You can't have him. Please. Please. Don't take him._

 _I won't survive it. Not this time._

"Mister Stark?" Peter's voice breaks. _I don't wanna go._ "F.R.I.D.A.Y.? What-what's happening? I don't understand."

 _I don't know what's happening. I don't know what's-_

His eyes had screamed _fix it, Mister Stark, please_ but Tony couldn't. All he could do was catch him as he fell and lower him to the ground so he that could disintegrate into the dirt of a planet that was light years away from his home. Press a hand against his shoulder and hold his frightened gaze until the very end. Until Tony fell forward against a ground painted in the ashes of a child who didn't deserve it.

 _His_ child. _His_ child's ashes.

"Boss appears to be experiencing a severe anxiety attack."

Peter sounds seconds away from tears. "Oh, god. What do I do?"

"It is advised that you attempt to help him control his breathing. It may help to ground him in the present moment. It is possible that the attack is rooted in his PTSD."

"Right." Peter sounds so unsure that Tony would give anything to reassure him. But he cannot move. He cannot do this again. "I've got this."

There is shuffling, and then soft hands grip Tony's wrists. He tries to pull away, but the hold is strong and unrelenting.

"Mister Stark? Can-can you look at me? Please?"

 _Sir, please._

Tony doesn't want to open his eyes. If he does, he'll have to watch his kid crumble all over again. But he had never been able to deny Peter anything, so he looks.

And he sees the white face of Peter Parker. Only this time, he is the one on the ground and the kid is hovering above him. The ground underneath him is not red dirt. It is the smooth linoleum of his lab's floors.

He is not on Titan. And that means…

" _Peter._ "

The kid smiles at him, bright and youthful. "That's me."

Tony grabs the kid and envelopes him in his arms. Peter gives a brief cry of surprise before curling against his mentor's chest hesitantly. Tony adjusts them until the majority of his body is covering Peter's. His fingers find the pulse point on Peter's neck and press down shakily.

A steady, slightly elevated _thump thump thump_ presses back.

"You're alright." Tony whispers, trying to block out the echoes of a different planet. A different day. A different reality. "I've got you. You're alright."

"Uh, Mister Stark?" Peter's voice is muffled by his mentor's shirt, but the man doesn't relinquish his hold. In fact, he presses a firm hand to the back of Peter's head and drops his face into the teenager's curls. "Aren't, um, aren't I supposed to be the one reassuring you?"

"Shut up, Pete."

The kid laughs a little, and Tony revels in the way the giggle shakes both their bodies. Peter is alive. Peter isn't going anywhere.

Tony doesn't know how long passes with them both curled on the ground, but by the time he speaks both he and Peter are half asleep.

"Hey, Peter?"

The kid turns his face into Tony's neck sleepily. "Hmm? Yeah?"

"Don't ever apologize to me again, okay? Just… just don't."

The silence stretches on for so long that Tony is almost certain the kid drifted off on him. Then, just as he is about to give into his own exhaustion, a drowsy murmur rises up from where Peter's face is pressed against Tony's throat.

"M'kay."

Tony waits for Peter to fall asleep before he moves a cautious hand back to the pulse point on the teenager's neck. He closes his eyes and lets the slow thrum of his kid's heartbeat lull him into sleep.

And if he wakes up later to a killer backache but a peacefully sleeping Peter, he decides that _this_ trade was entirely worth it.


	3. Tony Stark and Shawarma Is My OTP

AN: MORE INFINITY WAR SPOILERS AHEAD. BEWARE. TURN AWAY IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET. OKAY?

(alternate title for this chapter: the day I stop writing sleepy!Peter fluff is the day I am 6ft under)

LINK TO THE TUMBLR POST THAT INSPIRED THIS CHAPTER: post/173641457189/okay-but-honestly-if-there-isnt-an-after-credit

* * *

" _Peter._ "

Tony whispers the name with the reverence usually afforded to scripture. Steve spins from where he was clutching Bucky to see the billionaire wavering on his feet, eyes locked on a teenager standing just a few feet away.

 _So that's Peter._

He'd heard a lot about this kid over the past month. It was difficult, fighting for a cause that had already failed. Hoping for an outcome that was dauntingly uncertain. They'd all stayed sane by talking about what they were fighting for. _Who_ they were fighting for.

So Steve talked about Bucky and Sam. Rocket talked about Groot and the other Guardians. Thor talked about Loki and his people. Clint talked about his family. Natasha talked about Wanda and Fury. Okoye and Shuri talked about T'Challa.

And Tony? Tony talked about Peter.

( _"He can't use chopsticks."_

 _Tony is sitting on the floor of the Guardians ruined ship. He, Steve, and Rocket are working on repairing it. Well, Tony and Rocket are working on repairing it while Steve does the heavy lifting._

 _The genius has a faraway look in his eye as he tells the story. "He's so bad with them. I tried to teach him once, but we spent hours and by the end he was just as hopeless as when we started." Tony shoved his fist against his thigh. Grates the knuckles against the leg until they crack and pop in protest. "When I get him back, I'm going to make him learn. I won't let him out of my sight until he's a chopstick pro." The man's eyes wander to his lap, and his next words come out strained. "Won't let him out of my sight after that, either. Just to be safe."  
_

 _Steve is quiet for a moment before answering. "Because of the chopsticks."_

 _Tony gives a jerky nod. "Of course. Because of the chopsticks."_ )

The kid's eyes widen when he catches sight of his mentor, and then he's just a blur of motion until his smaller frame slams into Tony's. Steve is more than a little impressed by the fact that the older man manages to stay on his feet, rocking back with the force of Peter's jump both otherwise seeming unphased.

"Mister Stark!" The teenager's voice cracks as he breaks into sobs. "God. I'm so sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry. I missed you so much and it was so dark there and all I wanted was to come home and oh my g-"

"Shh, Pete." Tony threads his fingers into Peter's hair and rocks him back and forth. There is a paternal gentleness in the man's movements that Steve has never seen in him before. "It's alright. You're alright. Everything's alright."

They both drop to the ground, then. Tony pulls the kid into his lap and continues their swaying motion. Peter is babbling nonsensically, violently distraught and shaking with sobs. Steve's a good few meters away, and the teenager's frantic gasps are making _him_ feel panicky, but Tony takes it all in stride. He just holds him close and murmurs gentle, comforting words against the kid's hairline.

"I've got you. It's okay. Let it out. Just keep breathing for me, okay? Don't stop breathing. I'm here. You're not there anymore, buddy. You're not there. You're _home_."

By the time Peter's sobs fade into oblivion, the rest of the team and their recently resurrected friends have gathered in an awkward circle. Tony glances up from his kid's curls, notices their presence, and sighs deeply.

"C'mon, kiddie. Going up."

The billionaire tugs Peter to his feet, but doesn't relinquish his grip. He tucks Peter firmly against his side and wraps his arm so tightly around his waist that he pins the teenager's arms to his sides. The kid doesn't seem to mind, however. He just leans into the contact with a heavy, exhausted sigh.

"So," Tony says, projecting his voice across Wakanda's battle-scarred forest, "is everybody up for some shawarma?"

Steve laughs, high and hysterical. "Really, Tony? That's what's on your mind right now? _Shawarma_?"

Tony shrugs. "I'm hungry." He turns to Doctor Strange, who is smirking slightly at the billionaire, evidently amused. "So, what do you say, Doctor? Willing to help us get back to New York for some grub?"

The man laughs. His infamously prickly exterior seems to have been softened by the relief of, well, not being dead. "Why not?" The sorcerer conjures a portal with an absent gesture before catching the billionaire's eyes and giving him a surprisingly sincere nod. "Well done, Tony."

Tony regards the man silently for a moment. "You knew what would happen. You knew what I would lose."

"I did." Strange's eyes flicker meaningfully Peter, who seems to be dozing on his feet. "I also knew you'd do _anything_ in the face of that loss. Including, it would seem, the impossible."

Something unspoken passes between the two men. Steve cannot fathom out what it is, but the moment passes and then Tony is turning to everyone gathered with a smirk.

"If you want shawarma, hop on through."

And just like that, Tony pulls Peter through the portal and disappears.

"Well," Natasha drawls, giving Steve a small smile as she saunters after him, "I assume he's paying. And I could use a good meal."

–

The adrenaline fades, and exhaustion creeps in.

Half of the group is asleep before they can even fill their stomachs. Steve would be, too, if it wasn't for his super metabolism tearing through his fatigue and demanding to be sated. He stuffs his face and alternates between staring at Bucky and watching Tony with his kid.

The billionaire refuses to eat until Peter does. The kid tentatively gnaws on his first serving before his appetite finally kicks in. He ends up keeping pace with Steve, Bucky, and Thor for a while, which is impressive. By now, though, the kid is drifting off just like the rest of the superhero congregation.

Tony, on the other hand, seems wide awake, which Steve can tell is bullshit. The man has barely slept a whole night through since Titan. But every time his eyes start to droop with sleep, he shakes himself awake and keeps on staring at Peter.

In a way, Steve understands the feeling. When he isn't watching Tony, he's watching Bucky. Memorizing him. Try to push it through his head that he's _alive_. That the universe fell apart but they pieced it back together.

( _"He took half the universe."_

 _Steve looks at Tony sideways. "Yes."_

 _"He took the entirety of mine."  
_

 _Peter was the kingpin that held Tony together. The point on which his everything pivots._

 _Just like Bucky was Steve's._

 _"We're going to get them back."  
_

 _"I know. I just wish I hadn't lost him in the first place."_ )

By the time Steve shakes himself out of the memory, Peter has slipped sideways until he's half propped against Tony's chest and half slumped against the table. His head is pillowed against the billionaire's arm, which is resting between the pair's forgotten plates, while one of his shoulders is pressed against his mentor's ribs.

Tony's gaze is latched onto the steady rise and fall of Peter's chest, which is soft and even in sleep. His free hand is alternating between brushing through the teenager's hair or rubbing circles on the nape of his neck. Steve studies his expression. There is something impossibly tender, and impossibly _sad_ , on the man's face. He seems completely oblivious to the rest of the world.

( _"He took the entirety of mine."_ )

Slowly, ever so slowly, Tony starts to slump forward. Within minutes, he's curled over Peter's body, face pressed against the crown of the teenager's head and face relaxed in sleep.

And for the first time in months, Tony Stark rests.

Natasha's voice sounds from the soldier's left. "Isn't that a pretty picture?"

Steve glances over to see her watching Tony and Peter with a fond smirk curling the corner of her mouth towards the sky. "Guess it is."

"Don't worry," the ex-assassin is twirling a straw between her fingers, "I think Rhodey snapped one on his phone."

He laughs, careful not to disturb the myriad of sleepers littered around them. "Tony'll kill him."

"Maybe."

Bucky slips his hand into Steve's and squeezes. He squeezes back. but keeps his eyes on Natasha. "I'll have to get Rhodey to send me that picture."

Nat smiles. "We could frame it. Give it to him for Christmas."

Peter shifts, and Tony's hand curls instinctively in his hair, soothing him instantly. Even in sleep, the billionaire is looking out for his kid.

"Sounds like a plan."


	4. Bow Ties

AN: I just wanted to give Tony Stark the happiness he deserves and bask in some irondad fluff. Okay? Okay. Goodbye.

LINK TO THE TUMBLR POST THAT INSPIRED THIS CHAPTER: post/173813741700/if-avengers-4-does-not-feature-tony-teaching-peter

* * *

"You look good, Peter." Tony smiles at the kid, eyes shining with fondness. "All grown up."

Peter laughs, pointedly ignoring the little crows of "awe" Rhodey was making from where he was sprawled out on one of the hotel beds. "Yeah?"

His mentor seems determined to ignore his best friend's mockery too. He gets to his feet and strolls over to grip Peter by his shoulders, sweeping a calculated look over the teenager's tux. "Yeah."

One of Tony's hands slides up to cup the nape of Peter's neck. He gives it a reassuring squeeze. "You nervous?"

The question makes Peter roll his eyes. " _I'm_ not the one getting married in a few hours, Mister Stark."

"Guess not." His mentor brushes a thumb against the bow tie hanging around the teenager's neck. "You know how to do one of those?"

A blush races across Peter's face. "Well-I, uh, I mean..."

"No biggie. I'll teach you." The older man undoes his own tie with a flourish. "Alright. Don't try to do it yourself yet. Just watch what I do and then you can give it a short after."

Peter nods, gaze zeroing in on his mentor's hands. "Got it."

His laser focus makes another rush of fondness pass over Tony's face. This time, it's accompanied by a soft laugh. At Peter's questioning head tilt, the older man elaborates. "You're cute when you're concentrating. You look a little like a puppy."

Rhodey pipes up from the corner. A glance out of the corner of Peter's eye reveals that the Colonel is observing the scene with an expression of endearment. That realization only makes the teenager's blush brighten. "You do. Like a little Labrador puppy."

Tony's gaze flickers over to his best friend, a carefree smile curling his mouth upwards. "Right?"

"Okay. Okay." Peter glowers as the two men laugh at him. "Can you just teach me how to do this?" He realizes that his words could be rude, and adds to them quickly, his voice dropping into the tone he knows make the billionaire melt. "Please?"

It works. His mentor's hand cards through Peter's hair, brushing a few curls away from the teenager's forehead. "Sure thing, kiddo."

Peter gives Tony his most winning smile. "You can't touch my hair once it's all gelled up, y'know. So, get it out of your system now."

Tony laughs, ruffling Peter's hair until nearly ever lock is out of place. "Leave it be, kid."

The teenager chokes. "Leave it be? Have you seen it?" He pulls an errant curl straight and nearly goes cross-eyed and he tries to glare up at it. "It's a mess."

"I like it. And it's my wedding, so anything I say goes. And I say to leave the curls alone, buddy." Tony lets his fingers linger for a breath longer against Peter's scalp before pulling them back to his tie. "Alright. Watch closely." He starts moving through the steps at a snail's pace. "First, just tie a normal over knot. Then, make sure one end is a little longer than the other. Like this. See?"

Peter nods vigorously. The teenager can see his mentor fighting back a smile.

"Good. Fold the shorter side up. See how I did that?" Another nod. "Cool. Now, bring your longer end around the top. Make sure you're using these two fingers to leave an opening. Now, pull that end through and pull it tight." Tony finishes and adjusts the tie. "Just mess with it until everything looks like you want it to. You got it?"

"I think so."

Tony grips Peter's wrists and brings his hands to rest against the tie. "Your try, Pete."

His fingers fumble with the slippery silk, but his mentor's calloused hands are gentle and persistent, sliding over Peter's knuckles as he guides him through each step.

It takes him _a lot_ longer than Tony, but he ends up with a crooked but otherwise respectable bow. He grins up at his mentor excitedly and the older man gives him a proud nod, tenderly straightening the tie as Peter tugs at his cuffs.

"Good job, kid. We'll make a man out of you yet."

The pair just look at each other for a few seconds. In the end, it's Rhodey who breaks the moment.

"Alright. Well, as much as I love the father/son bonding going on here, we've got things to do."

Tony claps Peter on the shoulder as he moves away. The teenager didn't even register how close his mentor had been standing until he left. Something childish in him whined at the lost of the man's physical proximity.

"Right you are, Rhodey. C'mon, kid. I've got to deliver you to Happy for usher duty."

"Yeah. Right. Of course."

The older man slides a steadying arm around Peter's shoulder as he guides him out of the room and down the hall. "You'll do great. After everyone's seated, come find me in the back rooms and Rhodey and I will take care of you from there. You're walking in the processional with May, so that should be fine. After that, all you have to do is stand behind me and try not to look bored during the ceremony. Think you can pull that off?"

"Yes, Sir."

Happy is waiting for them in the lobby. He's wearing a tux that matches Peter's. The ex-bodyguard gives the teenager a genuine smile when his gaze lands on him. "Hey, kid. You clean up nice." He moves his attention to Tony. "You didn't have to bring him down here, Boss. I could've collected him."

His mentor just shrugs as he gives Peter a gentle shove towards Happy. "I wanted to bring him." He pauses right before he moves back to the elevator. "Be good, buddy. I'll see you in a bit."

"See ya, Mister Stark."

Happy nods towards the waiting car. "Move it, kid. Pepper will eviscerate us if we're late."

 _That_ got his feet moving. An angry Pepper was _not_ something he was prepared for.

 _Ever_.

* * *

Peter gets sent away from usher duty early in order to deliver a bouquet to Pepper.

He's massively relieved. _Especially_ when Happy tells him that he can go straight to Tony afterwards.

Escorting a bunch of strangers to their seats was surprisingly exhausting.

He knocks nervously and is greeted almost instantly by Black Widow herself. She cracks open the door and peeps out suspiciously. When she sees Peter, her lips twitch up in a rare smile.

"Hey there, маленький паук."

He smiles at the nickname. "Hi Nat." He holds up the bouquet. "Uh, delivery for the bride."

She raises a conspiratorial eyebrow at him. "Promise to tell Tony _nothing_?"

"I swear."

"On your life?"

"Duh."

Natasha opens the door and pulls him in. As soon as he sees Pepper, his mouth drops open.

She looks _beautiful_. And, to be fair, Peter's knowledge of wedding dresses extends about as far as the few Say Yes to the Dress episodes he's seen with May, but the dress looks expensive. Then again, she _is_ marrying Tony Stark.

The dress itself is satin, and the fabric looks so soft and smooth that he feels a weird urge to touch it. The large bow at the front makes Peter reach up to adjust his own tie impulsively. Pepper's hair is pinned up in an intricate crown that makes Peter's head spin when he tries to trace the strands.

The moment she sees Peter, Pepper's entire face lights up. He decides rather suddenly that the CEO could be wearing a burlap sack and she'd still look radiant. "Peter, honey!"

"H-Hey there, Miss Potts." He winces a little at his stutter. "Y-you look beautiful."

"And you look _so_ handsome. Come here, sweetheart."

Peter rushes to her side, offering up the bouquet nervously. She pulls it from his hands and sets it aside without a second glance, opting instead to brush a motherly thumb over his face. "Thank you, Peter. Stick around for a minute and let May have a look at you. I sent her to check on Tony. Is he panicking yet?"

The teenager giggles. "I dunno. Last I saw, he seemed okay. But that was hours ago. I'm heading to him after this."

"Good." She winks at him. "Stay close to him, alright? I'm trusting you and Rhodey to keep him together until the ceremony. Think you can do that for me?"

"Yes, ma'am."

He hears a door open and close behind him. May is speaking as soon as she enters. "So, I checked on Tony and, well, it isn't great. I think he-" She cuts herself off as Peter spins to face her. "Peter!"

She's on him in an instant, cupping his face and sniffing back tears as she takes in his tux. "Oh, my baby. You look so, so handsome, honey. My handsome baby boy. Look how grown up you are."

He hears Natasha snicker, and winces. Still, he doesn't pull away. "Thanks, May."

Finally, she releases him and brushes a few stray tears away from her cheeks. "Look at me. The ceremony hasn't even started yet and I'm already crying."

"Don't worry about it." Peter assures, smiling crookedly at her. "So, uh, is Tony okay?"

She winces. "I think you should probably run over there, Peter. Something tells me Rhodey could use the help."

 _Oh no_.

* * *

When Peter slips into the room for Tony and the groomsmen, his mentor is in full panic mode.

The billionaire is pacing, tugging anxiously at his lapel and cuffs and muttering under his breath. Rhodey is standing a few feet away, watching the man with a look of barely contained frustration on his face. He sees Peter before Tony does, and moves to greet him silently.

"Thank god you're here." The Colonel whispers, obviously trying to avoid catching his best friend's attention. "I need you to do that thing you do."

"Uh... what thing?"

"You know. When you get him to go into overprotective dad mode."

Peter muffles a laugh against his sleeve. "What? Why?"

"Because he's freaking out, and there's still fifteen minutes to go. He needs a distraction, but he's ignored everything I've tried." Rhodey checks that Tony is still pacing rapidly, completely oblivious his surroundings, before continuing. "Make him mother you, or something."

The teenager rolls his eyes. "How do I even do that?"

"I don't know! You're the one that does it all the time." The Colonel scrutinizes his face briefly. "Aren't you nervous?"

"A little."

"Good. Hype it up. Tell him you're terrified. Use your puppy dog eyes. Like I said, make him parent you. _Please_ , Peter."

Peter sighs. "Alright. I'll try, but I really don't think it's going to work." He moves towards his mentor. "Hi, Mister Stark."

The man whips to face him and desperately tries to school his expression into something that doesn't resemble pure panic. "Hey, Pete. When did you get here?"

"Just now." He lies. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Just waiting." Tony grips his left wrist. It's one of his many anxious ticks that Peter's learned to identify over the years. "You good?"

He forces his breathing to ratchet up a notch and purposefully makes his voice come out strained and wobbly. "Y-Yeah. 'Course."

If his mentor wasn't so stressed, Peter has no doubt that he would've seen right through the teenager's facade. As it was, he buys it immediately. Tony's eyes narrow and his entire posture changes. The nervous tension bleeding into alertness. His gaze, devoid of anything but parental concern, sweeps Peter up and down as he moves towards him. "What's wrong, Peter?"

Peter can see Rhodey grinning smugly in his peripheral vision. He forces out a weak stutter as he resists the urge to give the Colonel a good shove. "N-Nothing."

"Yeah. Not buying it." Tony is gripping his shoulders now, eyes flickering across Peter's face. "Want to try the truth?"

 _That would be sort of counterproductive, considering the fact that I'm trying to distract you_. "I'm just, uh, I'm just a little nervous, I guess."

Tony's face softens. He runs a thumb over Peter's cheekbone. The gesture is so similar to the one Pepper did earlier that it nearly makes the teenager laugh. "Hey, don't sweat it. Everything's gonna be fine. Worst part's already over, buddy."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Tony's hand migrates from his face to his curls. Peter resists the urge to point out the fact that his mentor is always messing with them. If he does, Tony might stop. And, as childish as it is, Peter _really_ doesn't want him to. "After the ceremony, all you have to do is eat and watch everyone else get drunk. I've seen you eat, kid. Something tells me that part'll be a breeze for you."

"Maybe I'll get drunk with everyone else."

Tony shoots him a warning look. "Don't make me kick your ass at my own wedding, Pete."

"I was joking, Mister Stark."

"You better be."

A nervous looking attendant pokes his head into the room. "Five minutes until we start, Mister Stark. Everyone should probably get in their places."

"Shit." Panic flashes over Tony's face as his grip on Peter's shoulders tightens painfully and the hand in his hair tenses. "Shit. Shit. Shit. Who thought this was a good idea?"

Peter answers for him. "Uh... wasn't it you?"

"Yeah, but I'm stupid. Nobody should listen to me."

Peter grins cheekily as he, Tony, and Rhodey move out of the room and towards the distant sound of the crowd. "I mean, I'll agree with you there."

His mentor shoots him a glare. "Thanks a ton, Pete. Is this karma? Was I really such a bad child that I deserved to end up with a snarky little shit like you for a kid?"

"You love me."

"Unfortunately."

They stop when they reach the congregation of bridesmaids and groomsmen that are mulling around by the doors that lead to the ceremony space. Rhodey moves to tug Tony towards a side door.

"Time to go, Tony. Say bye to Tony, Peter."

"Bye, Mister Stark."

His mentor just gives him a terrified glance before Rhodey hauls him through the door and, presumably, to the altar.

He can hear Peter's laughter echoing behind him.

(It makes him feel a little better.)

* * *

If Peter's being honest, the ceremony was one of the most boring experiences of his life.

He's more than a little glad when it finally ends and the reception begins. He scarfs down every dish at the dinner with vigor. Pepper sat him and May with Happy, Sam, Steve, and Natasha, so the conversation is lively and Peter doesn't have to stress about remembering anybody's names.

After dinner comes the actual party, which Peter is a little hesitant about. Afterall, he's literally the only person at the entire occasion that's underage. Almost as soon as Tony and Pepper finish their first dance, however, the latter is pulling him into the floor with a glimmer in her eyes.

Tony notices and laughs. "What're you doing with my kid, Pep?"

Pepper puts Peter's right hand on her left hip and grabs his free hand in hers, bringing it to shoulder level. "We're dancing, Tony."

The billionaire rolls his eyes and slips his arm smoothly through May's. "My wife has stolen your son, so I'm all alone. May I have this dance?"

Peter doesn't hear her reply, because Pepper whisks him to the other side of the dance floor in a series of graceful steps. She's patient and kind, guiding him through the dance with nothing but smiles and ease, even when he stumbles.

"Congratulations." Peter whispers, glancing slyly at Tony. "He's really lucky."

The words sound cheesy, even to him, but they make Pepper smile. "Oh, I know."

These are the moments where Peter sees exactly why Tony fell in love with her. "I think he knows, too."

"He better." She helps Peter regain his balance as he takes a particularly ungraceful step. "I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"Lots of things, really." She smiled at him. "Giving him something to live for. Reminding him that he's human. You're one of the best things that ever happened to him, Peter." The teenager blushes at the praise. "But I specifically wanted to thank you for distracting him before the ceremony. Rhodey told me."

"Oh." She's thanking him for _that_? All he really did was stand around and let Tony mess with his hair. "It's not a big deal. I'm happy to help."

"I know you are, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful." The song ends, and she releases him. "Well, I think I owe a certain Colonel a dance. Enjoy your night, sweetheart."

Peter spends the rest of the evening on the outskirts of the festivities, but not in a bad way. He dances with May a few times, and Natasha once, but otherwise chooses to chat with the Avengers and some of the SI employees that he recognizes. The event is so chaotic that he barely sees Tony all night.

The reception finally winds down, and Peter is surprised when his mentor catches his eye and motions for him to follow he and Pepper out to the lobby. The newlyweds planned to leave for the honeymoon as soon as the party ended, so Peter sort of assumed he wouldn't see them again until they came home in a couple of weeks.

Apparently, Tony had other plans.

He dashes after them with a quick promise to meet May by the elevators when he's finished.

Tony greets him with a weary but genuine smile. "Hey, Pete. Sorry I didn't see you much back there."

"It's fine, Mister Stark. I understand."

"Well, still. You have fun, at least?" Pepper isn't even trying to conceal the adoration on her face as she watches the two interact. "How was the cake? You like it?"

"Oh, yeah. It was awesome, Mister Stark. Really good."

"Yeah? Good." The billionaire clenches and unclenches his fists. "Well, we'll be back in two and a half weeks. Promise to stay out of trouble until then?" At Peter's vigorous nod, Tony huffs a laugh. "Okay. Good. That's good. Pepper worries, you know."

The woman in question barks out a shameless, indignant laugh. Tony ignores her.

"Anyway, I, uh, I just wanted to check in with you before we left. Say goodbye, and all that." All of a sudden, there is something deep and serious in Tony's eyes. "You feeling better?"

 _Oh, right._

"Yeah, Mister Stark. I feel great." The teenager shuffles his feet awkwardly for a second before giving into his impulse and murmuring a nervous, "I'll miss you."

His mentor's entire aura softens. He seems to fight with himself for a second before blowing out a breath and tugging Peter into his arms.

"You're a good kid, Peter."

Peter crushes his face against Tony's jacket. The material is different than Tony's usual suits, but his mentor still smells the same. Cedarwood, motor oil, and metal. Peter sinks into the familiar scents with a hum. "Thank you, Mister Stark. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks, kid." There is a pause. Tony rubs his hand up and down Peter's spine. "For everything."

The teenager smiles against his mentor's shoulder. "Anytime."


	5. Helicopter Mentoring

AN: Inspired by a conversation with Tumblr and AO3 user caraminha.

* * *

It's the middle of the day, and Tony is elbows deep in the engine of his Ford Roadster when the alert goes off.

"Boss?" F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s voice echoes from the walls. "Mister Parker's heart rate has risen to over 100 beats per minute and his blood pressure appears to be climbing as well."

Tony's head snaps up. "Is he exercising?"

"No, Sir. The tracker in his watch indicates that he is stationary and has not engaged in strenuous physical activity for approximately 14 hours."

"Shit." He wipes the grease off his hands with an old t-shirt. "Call him."

"Right away, Boss."

The phone rings three times before Peter's slightly breathless voice squeaks across the line.

"Uh, Mister Stark?"

"Hey, kid. You wanna tell me why your heart rate and blood pressure are spiking?"

"Oh, well, I, uh- wait, what? How do you even know that?"

The billionaire rolls his eyes. "F.R.I.D.A.Y. monitors your vitals. Don't change the subject."

"But I'm not even in the suit right now."

"You're wearing that watch I gave you, right?"

Peter groans. "Oh my god. Did you put F.R.I.D.A.Y. in my watch? What the hell, Mister Stark? That takes helicopter parenting to a whole new level."

Tony's heart twinges at Peter's use of 'parenting.' He shoves the emotion down. "Good thing I'm not your parent."

"Helicopter mentoring, then." It sounds like Peter's laughing. "I'm fine, Mister Stark. You can put away the suit you have on standby."

Tony sort of hates the fact that he actually _does_ have to disengage the suit he'd been about to send to Peter's location. The kid knows him too well.

He glances at the screen displaying Peter's vitals and notices that the numbers seem to be dropping somewhat towards normal as they talk, but they're still a little too high for Tony's liking. "Yeah? How come your vitals lit up, then?"

"I'm at school, Mister Stark. I have an oral presentation in Spanish. I'm _nervous_."

Oh. _Oh_.

"Ah. Well, uh, oh." He pulls up Peter's location with a flick of his wrist and quickly confirms that the kid is indeed sitting in the back of his Spanish classroom. He ignores Peter's snickers as he rapidly hacks into his school's servers and checks one Peter Parker's schedule. Yep. The kid definitely has Spanish at 1:15 on Mondays. A glance at the clock confirms that it's 1:10. "Alright, then. Good. Spanish. Did you, uh, did you study?"

The kid chokes an answer through his laughter. "Yep. A ton. All freaking weekend, actually."

"Good for you." Well, at least the kid's heart rate is back to normal. Maybe all he needed was a distraction. "Well, go clinch that A for me, kiddo."

More giggles. Damn this kid, taking amusement from Tony's distress. "I'll try."

"Oh, and kid?"

"Yes, Mister Stark?"

"Please take the watch off when you, uh, take care of any adult business, okay? That is not an alert I need to get."

"Adult bussine-" Peter's voice rises several octaves as his mentor's meaning bleeds through. "I-I don't-I mean, I'm not-"

Ah, payback really _is_ sweet. "Bye, kid. Have fun in Spanish class. Remember: watch comes off during your big boy activities."

"Mister Stark!"

He hangs up to the kid's indignant squeaks. He laughs loudly when the monitor shows another abrupt rise in heart rate and blood pressure as soon as Tony mentioned sex.

He really loves that kid.


End file.
